Olmert vows no easing of Gaza offensive

Ehud Olmert said there would be no letup in Israel’s campaign against Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli prime minister told his Cabinet on Sunday that despite a relative lull in cross-border shelling by Hamas and other factions, he was determined to press the military offensive in Gaza.”Given what appears to be a reduction in the number of Kassam launches, I would like to make clear that we are not conducting negotiations, we are not committing to any change in our operational tactics,” Olmert said. “Operations are bringing results and will continue as long as they continue to contribute to security interests.”Olmert appeared to be responding to remarks over the weekend by Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk, who proposed offering Israel a yearlong cease-fire. Shortly after Olmert spoke, Hamas’ armed wing fired a salvo of mortar bombs at the Erez crossing on the Gaza border, wounding four Israeli soldiers.